I'm a huge believer in the power of the video camera and using it constantly to help improve your swing, especially if you're making major changes or doing some tweaking. This past week has proven to me the usefulness of the camera as I've had some spells where I start laying the club off and closing the clubface. I'd just take a look at the camera, see that what I *thought* I was doing wasn't what I was *actually* doing and then make the correction.
You really can't get that without the camera and I always find it funny how golfers, even great ones and even great teachers shy away from the camera like it's a disease. I couldn't imagine a football coach that would refuse to look at the camera after a practice or a game to see what was actually going on and I think the same way about golf, especially if you're working on your swing.
The one camera angle I like is the one on the ground out in front of me. I 'stole' the idea for this camera angle from watching this Rory McIlroy video.
Anyway, while I've gotten the clubface much more square at the top of the swing and I'm closing the clubface on the startdown by releasing the #3 Power Accumulator too early and out of sequence in the swing. Hopefully these pics will demonstrate that. You can click on the pics to enlarge them.
P4
Here the clubface is pretty square, maybe slightly closed.
Here the clubface has closed quite a bit. The toe of the club should be pointing more in the direction of the target, but instead it's pointing more in the direction of where my golf bag is.
Take a look at the position of Rory McIlroy's clubface in the startdown and you can see a noticeable difference.
With my pic of my swing you can see most of the back of the clubhead at this point where you cannot see the back of Rory's clubhead. I think this clubface closing in the startdown is one big reason why I tend to move my head backwards in the downswing as it provides a way for me to get the clubface squared up at impact.
So for now I plan to keep working on the adjustments I've made to my backswing probably thru the weekend and then come Monday I'll start to work on the clubface on the startdown and probably getting some flex in the right knee at P4.
With these swings I've been able to strike the ball pretty well, hitting 12 GIR on Saturday, then 14 GIR on Monday and then 12 on Tuesday. I also only missed one fairway on Tuesday and didn't hit anything less than a decent drive all day long and hit some pretty long drives on the back side. So if I can continue to work on ways to get even better clubface control, these type of ballstriking rounds will only become more common.
3JACK
5 comments:
Richie,
Follow up to your improvement post earlier this month, I signed up for the deal at PGA Tour Superstore for $99. Just hitting the balls where I get launch monitor and camera work on every swing as long as I want for a year was worth it but throw in the free grip change and a free lesson (hey you never know) it seems like a no brainer.
PS...nice work on the swing!
I'm not too nutty on their launch monitor, but it at least gives the club path reading. The dual camera system is nice. Great for rainy days and crappy weather.
Hi Rich,
I don't understand why you consider you clubface is wrong (close). You are a hitter and I suppose for a hitter the face of the club is more square to the arc on the entire swing (more simultaneous releases of the power accumulators, and angular hinge). If I am not wrong, Rory is a swinger, the face go open and close and the 3power accumulator must be releases later than a hitter. I am a beginner on TGM, and moreover I don't master English. Excuse me if I am wrong and please explain me. Thanks.
I believe that even with a hitter using the right forearm takeaway, the clubface should be relatively square at P4, with the clubface pretty much in line with the left forearm from the DTL view. Look at Kenny Perry, a hitter, at P5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRhg5ZfRM4) His face is square here where mine is not. The swinger has a higher rate of closing the face, but I think those who get into 'hitting' tend to incorrectly assume you can have a very closed clubface when you really cannot.
I love to see your right forearm position in the setup! I try to setup like this every times I stand on a tee box. :)
I could see a bit S&T movements there in your swing (hitting of course). I wish I could see the S&T link you post recently; I found another clip 'Spine Angle' vs. 'Inclination to the Ground' which clears up my puzzle of maintaining the angle nicely.
Thanks champ for the great information!
Keep it up! I hope to see more goodies for you!
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